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The Virginia Information Technologies Agency (VITA) is pleased to announce that their Integrated Services Program (ISP) won the Outstanding 911 Call Center/Program award. “Virginia is honored to be recognized by the esteemed NG911 Institute for our work with Next Generation 911,” said Chief Information Officer of the Commonwealth Nelson Moe. “Our public safety professionals in Virginia are leaders in the industry and are dedicated to keeping our citizens safe 24/7.”

The Next Generation 911 Institute (NG911 Institute) announced the winners of the 17th annual 911 Honor Awards at their awards reception on Feb. 12 at the Rayburn House of Representatives Office Building in Washington, D.C. VITA’s program won the Outstanding 911 Call Center / Program which recognizes a 911 call center/ state or regional 911 program for overall excellence in serving the public, including the handling of emergency situations and the deployment and management of new technology. Interim ISP Manager Dorothy A. Spears-Dean, Ph.D. accepted the award on behalf of VITA.

“Virginians dial 911 everyday seeking assistance, and our public safety community is there to assist them through their emergencies. VITA’s program has set a high level of dedication to the public safety field, and we are delighted to honor their extraordinary contributions to the national 911 system,” said Chief Administrative Officer Dan Wolf.

The 911 Honor Awards reception is an annual event to honor 911 heroes and leaders. Keynote speakers for this year’s award ceremony include Jessica Rosenworcel, FCC Commissioner and Rep. Anna Eshoo, California (18^th). The Co-Chairs of the Congressional Next Gen 911 Caucus (Reps. Shimkus and Eshoo and Senators Burr and Klobuchar) and other members of Congress and federal government officials will join 911 leaders from across the country to present the awards. Award winners in all categories:

• Industry Professional: Tracy Eldridge, RapidSOS
• 911 Public Safety Professional: Kevin Garcia, Jeffcom 911
• 911 Public Safety Professional: Stephanie Sigler, Rice County Emergency Communications
• Government Leader: Hon. Kevin Neal, Marshall County Fiscal Court
• NG911 Awareness: Tyrell T. Morris, CPE, Orleans Parish Communication District
• Outstanding 911 Call Center/Program: VITA Integrated Services Program
• Citizen in Action: Seth and Claire Johnson, Overland Park, KS
• Carla Anderson Heart of 911: Evelyn Bailey, NASNA

“Congratulations to the ISP staff on this tremendous award,” stated Interim ISP Director Dorothy Spears-Dean. “I thank each and every one of you for your continued support as we collectively strive to service all of our constituencies within the Commonwealth of Virginia.”

About the NG911 Institute

The NG911 Institute (www.ng911institute.org) is a not-for-profit organization, which supports the efforts of the Congressional NextGen 911 Caucus. The mission of the Institute is to assist the Congressional NextGen 911 Caucus by serving as a broad educational resource on issues important to the effective operation and advancement of NG911 services and systems. The overarching objective of the NG911 Institute is to advance the rapid implementation of NG911 in order to promote more effective emergency response and improve public safety.  To this   end, the Institute seeks to educate Congressional Members and staff on issues that may impact timely and effective NG911 implementation.

The NextGen 911 Caucus, co-chaired by Senators Richard Burr (R-NC) and Amy Klobuchar (D- MN) and Reps. John Shimkus (R-IL) and Anna Eshoo (D-CA) , is the only bipartisan, bicameral organization dedicated exclusively to NG911 issues and plays a unique role in raising the visibility of NG911 policy issues and funding needs. During the past 15 years, the Institute has successfully raised awareness of 911 issues with Congress and federal policymakers and created a platform to recognize the admirable efforts of public safety and 911 industry leaders.